In this process-article, I have considered what complexities might "affect" research of prison education when using Posthuman, Post Qualitative, Feminist (New) Materialism thinking. Through an imagined conversation with these 3 concepts as abstract 'beings', I have answered provocative questions about my research methods, apparatus, and…

Dr. Peter Leone is an internationally renowned researcher and advocate for incarcerated youth. Throughout his almost four decades at the University of Maryland, his expertise and research have influenced lawsuits related to the provision of education and special education services in juvenile corrections and paved the way for changes in policy and…

This article examines the relationship between education and rehabilitation within the prison context. It begins by exploring the concept of rehabilitation, examining if prison rehabilitation is possible or if it is what Pat Carlen describes as a "penal imaginary". Drawing on this idea, it considers how rehabilitation may act as a way of…

The call for social reintegration of prisoners, in many cases, does not work or has been abandoned, leaving the question of inclusivity regarding the imprisoned an open challenge in contemporary societies. My study provides a critical analysis of a model defined as an educational system of social reintegration, which aspires to be an alternative…

At a time when higher education in prison (HEP) is growing in popularity and acceptance, a myopic approach threatens the field's potential to develop into a more robust and sustainable enterprise. Blindly accepting HEP as a personal and/or societal good while failing to consider the ethical challenges that individuals engaging in HEP work may face…

A primary focus within the field of higher education in prison is to ensure that federal, state, and institution-level polices helping to develop and sustain programs remain durable. Current justifications for policies in support of programs often rely on a predominantly recidivist lens, advocating for programs on the grounds of their likelihood…

Studying best practices in the aftermath of COVID-19 can offer evidence-based solutions to the challenges faced by postsecondary correctional education (PSCE), both those created or exacerbated by the crisis. This pragmatic, interpretive case study aimed to contribute to this effort by conducting a qualitative analysis of interviews and documents…

Kaur (2012) raises the question, how can education be more inclusive and representative when catering to diverse groups and students? Does our entitlement to human kindness cease once incarcerated, and are we to be forever banished to the outskirts of society? The majority of offender education research assesses success or failure through…

Higher education in the correctional environment is endorsed globally as the most effective tool for rehabilitation. Studies from the Global North have researched correctional education and its accessibility, but few of those have focused specifically on incarcerated women's access to tertiary education online. Even fewer consider this topic…

One form of rehabilitation is education. Although 40% of inmates said they would enroll in a postsecondary degree program if given an opportunity, but only 27% of state prisons even offer college-level courses (McCoy & Burlingame, 2019; Rampey et al., 2016). Research has shown that completing a college-level degree while incarcerated can…

The United States currently has the world's largest prison population, emphasizing the need for effective reentry programs for individuals transitioning back into society after incarceration. Correctional education programs, particularly higher education, have been recognized for their role in offender rehabilitation, reducing recidivism rates,…

When the federal government banned incarcerated students from accessing Pell Grants in the mid-1990s, a new model for supporting Higher Education in Prison (HEP) programs emerged--utilizing Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) as third-party facilitators to fill the gaps left behind in the absence of federal financial aid. With the long-awaited…

The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (Chancellor's Office) Rising Scholars Network was established to make college accessible to currently and formerly incarcerated community college students. Key partnerships with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Foundation for California Community…

Grounded in a Black feminist approach (Collins, 2022; Evans-Winters, 2019), in this article, I weave together the personal and professional to share what I have learned as a Black Latina educator, researcher, and abolitionist who for the past twelve years has worked in carceral spaces alongside numerous men, women, youth, and gender expansive…

Based on case study research, this article analyzes a specific example of youth and adult prison education in Chile from the perspective of the movement for human rights.